The present invention relates to a control mechanism for a change-speed transmission of a four-wheel drive vehicle, and more particularly to a control mechanism comprising an auxiliary change-speed transmission having high and low gear ratios, a main change-speed transmission and a clutch device for connecting the output of the main change-speed transmission to front or rear wheels for the four-wheel drive operation, and having a single select lever for operating the auxiliary change-speed transmission and the clutch.
Such a control mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,170,273 and 4,241,621. The control mechanism is provided for a vehicle in which the engine, change-speed transmission and clutch device are longitudinally arranged. The present invention concerns a vehicle in which the engine and the main change-speed transmission are tranversely disposed in the front or rear of the vehicle, a final reduction gear for the front or the rear wheels is coupled to the transmission and a clutch device is provided for transmitting the power from the final reduction gear to the other wheels for the four-wheel drive operation.
In such a transmission system for a transversely disposed engine, an auxiliary change-speed transmission and the main change-speed transmission are transversely disposed on the vehicle.
Accordingly, a shifting device for the auxiliary change-speed transmission and a shifting device for the clutch device are operated in the transverse direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the well-known control mechanism for the above-mentioned longitudinal disposition, in which shifting devices are operated in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, cannot be applied to the transversely disposed transmission.